cuff

1
[ kuhf ]
See synonyms for: cuffcuffedcuffs on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a fold or band serving as a trimming or finish for the bottom of a sleeve.

  2. a turned-up fold, as at the bottom of a trouser leg.

  1. the part of a gauntlet or long glove that extends over the wrist.

  2. a separate or detachable band or piece of fabric worn about the wrist, inside or outside of the sleeve.

  3. an elasticized, ribbed, or reinforced band at the top of a sock or stocking.

  4. a band of leather or other material, wider than a collar, sewed around the outside of the top of a shoe or boot to serve as a trimming or finish.

  5. a handcuff: I accessorized my costume with cuffs, a badge, and a toy gun.

  6. Anatomy. rotator cuff.

  7. Furniture. a horizontal strip of veneer used as an ornament on a leg.

  8. Medicine/Medical. an inflatable wrap placed around the upper arm and used in conjunction with a device for recording blood pressure.

verb (used with object)
  1. to make a cuff or cuffs on: to cuff a pair of trousers.

  2. to put handcuffs on: The officer was quick to cuff the suspect and read him his rights.

  1. Slang. to start an exclusive relationship with: You’ve gotta cuff her if you want to keep her.

Idioms about cuff

  1. off the cuff, Informal.

    • extemporaneously; on the spur of the moment: She made those comments off the cuff, and they came back to haunt her later.

    • unofficially or informally: I'm telling you this strictly off the cuff.

  2. on the cuff, Slang.

    • with the promise of future payment; on credit.

    • without charge; with no payment expected: He enjoyed his meal the more because it was on the cuff.

Origin of cuff

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English cuffe “mitten”; perhaps akin to Old English cuffie “cap,” from Medieval Latin cuphia; see origin at coif2

Words that may be confused with cuff

Words Nearby cuff

Other definitions for cuff (2 of 2)

cuff2
[ kuhf ]

verb (used with object)
  1. to strike with the open hand; beat; buffet.

noun
  1. a blow with the fist or the open hand; buffet.

Origin of cuff

2
First recorded in 1520–30; origin uncertain; perhaps from a Scandinavian language; compare Norwegian, Swedish dialect kuffa “to push, shove”; also German cant kuffen “to thrash”

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use cuff in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cuff (1 of 2)

cuff1

/ (kʌf) /


noun
  1. the part of a sleeve nearest the hand, sometimes turned back and decorative

  2. the part of a gauntlet or glove that extends past the wrist

  1. US, Canadian and Australian the turned-up fold at the bottom of some trouser legs: Also called (in eg Britain): turn-up

  2. off the cuff informal improvised; extemporary

Origin of cuff

1
C14 cuffe glove, of obscure origin

British Dictionary definitions for cuff (2 of 2)

cuff2

/ (kʌf) /


verb
  1. (tr) to strike with an open hand

noun
  1. a blow of this kind

Origin of cuff

2
C16: of obscure origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with cuff

cuff

see off the cuff; on the cuff.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.